Joining N. Korea, Israel denies Human Rights Watch Work Permit

Israeli authorities have denied Human Rights Watch’s application for a work permit for its Israel and Palestine director, on the grounds that it is not a real human rights group, the organization said, according to Al Mezan Center for Human Rights.

In its February 20, 2017 letter denying a work permit for Omar Shakir, the Interior Ministry cited an opinion received from the Foreign Ministry that Human Rights Watch’s “public activities and reports have engaged in politics in the service of Palestinian propaganda, while falsely raising the banner of ‘human rights.’” The denial comes as the authorities seek to limit the space for local and international human rights groups to operate in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

“This decision and the spurious rationale should worry anyone concerned about Israel’s commitment to basic democratic values,” said Iain Levine, deputy executive director of program at Human Rights Watch. “It is disappointing that the Israeli government seems unable or unwilling to distinguish between justified criticisms of its actions and hostile political propaganda.”

Human Rights Watch said that the decision was particularly surprising given that the organization regularly meets and corresponds with Israeli government officials, including representatives of the military, the police, and the Foreign Ministry. Last year, the Foreign Ministry asked Human Rights Watch to intervene in a case involving Israeli victims of human rights abuses.

The decision marks an ominous turn after nearly three decades during which Human Rights Watch staff have had regular access without impediments to Israel and the West Bank. Israel, though, has refused Human Rights Watch access to Gaza since 2010, except for one visit in 2016.

Human Rights Watch is an independent, international, nongovernmental organization that promotes respect for human rights and international law. It monitors rights violations in more than 90 countries across the world. Human Rights Watch in 1997 shared in the Nobel Peace Prize as a founding member of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. To accomplish its mission, Human Rights Watch relies on rigorous research from professional researchers on the ground and regular engagement with government officials, as well as others with first-hand information.

Human Rights Watch maintains direct access to the vast majority of countries it reports on. Cuba, North Korea, Sudan, Uzbekistan, and Venezuela are among the few countries that have blocked access for Human Rights Watch staff members. By contrast, Human Rights Watch maintains staff who work legally in its registered offices in some 24 countries around the world, including Lebanon, Jordan, and Tunisia.

Human Rights Watch applied to the Population and Immigration Authority, within Israel’s Ministry of Interior, on July 14, 2016, for a work permit on behalf of Shakir, a United States citizen. While Interior Ministry regulations provide that a decision should be provided within 60 days, Human Rights Watch did not receive a reply until February 20, 2017. Human Rights Watch has retained counsel and intends to challenge the decision before an Israeli district court.

“The Israeli government is hardly the only one to disagree with our well-researched findings, but efforts to stifle the messenger signal that it has no appetite for serious scrutiny of its human rights record,” Levine said. “We hope the Israeli authorities will reverse this decision and allow both international and domestic human rights groups to work freely.”